Startup Employees = Smarter, Better, Faster, Stronger

March 15, 2016

by Firsthand Staff

The ‘Hustle Gene’ is important to your success. In this week’s Roundup, discover the perks of working at a startup, how you could get tricked during your next interview, and how a mom gave her son career-changing advice. Also, hear about changes to foreign student visas, women in leadership, and the effect of employees’ unethical behavior on companies.

9 reasons why working for a startup leads to career successTHENEXTWEBWorking at a startup > working at a big company.Why? Startup employees get greater exposure to how a business works. They’re more focused on growth, more diverse, and smarter. They also have better social skills, can fight, can sell, and have strong communities.

4 ways you could get tricked in your next job interview
BUSINESS INSIDERThe Bait-and-Switch. The Red Herring. The Long Pause. The Cup Test. These tricky tactics trip up even the best interviewees. Recruiters want to test your reaction when your restaurant order is wrong. Even the company driver, hired to take you to and from your interview, might be undercover. They could even leave an empty cup on the table to test if you’ll throw it out. Trust no one.

One piece of advice from my mom completely changed my life and careerBUSINESS INSIDER“Go back inside. You never know who you’ll meet.” His mom’s words of wisdom were all Byron Sorrells needed at a networking event when he was too shy to strike up a conversation. One interaction that night sparked Byron’s career: from freelance gig in the fashion industry to a full-time job at Twitter. Next time you want to leave a party early, remember that one conversation can change your career.

7 subtle conversation habits of powerful people
BUSINESS INSIDERConversations can make or break a first impression.Follow these conversation habits for a more powerful and memorable presence: 1) Have something worth saying; 2) Don’t be afraid of silence; 3) Don’t dominate the conversation; 4) Don’t argue; 5) Avoid buzzwords, euphemisms, and clichés; 6) Use simple words; and 7) Have a dynamic tone.

The Ashley Madison Effect on CompaniesWALL STREET JOURNALEmployee sex scandals=unethical companies.Researchers found that companies with more users on cheating site Ashley Madison scored lower on measures of corporate social responsibility, had more accounting infractions, and were at greater risk of defaulting on their debt. On the flipside, however, these companies invested more in R&D and had more patents. Maybe it’s true that cheaters never prosper, but sometimes the companies they work for do.

Foreign Students Can Stay in the US Longer
BUZZFEEDThe American Dream just became more achievable. Foreign students are now able to stay in the US 25% longer. This applies to students graduating from science, tech, engineering, and math programs. This win-win legislation will increase revenue for American colleges while granting graduating international students more time to gain work experience or apply for long-term visas.

Women and the Vision ThingHARVARD BUSINESS REVIEWWomen are near perfect leaders. INSEAD researchers found that women outshine men in most leadership dimensions except for vision. The good news is that every dimension of leadership is learned, not inborn. As more women become skilled at envisioning the future, nothing will hold them back.

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